Destination: Angel Island
by Satokasu Suki
Summary: Rouge decides to visit Angel Island for treasure hunting reasons, and bumps into a familiar figure. R+R!


Dedication/Based on: This is dedicated to the author of one of my top personal favourites, **"Hunters Honor" by **Bryon Nightshade. This is for you! ^_^ And although it might seem like I'm copying your idea, don't worry, the only similarities are the Angel Island setting and Knuckles and Rouge spending time together in competition for the emeralds. Thanks again for writing such a beautiful masterpiece [and I urge you to continue]! ^_^ 

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sega; Sonic, or associated characters.

Destination: Angel Island

Rouge's dark purple wings fluttered before she hit the solid ground lightly. 

"So this is the famous Angel Island," she grinned. "There must be emeralds hidden here," she scanned the area to make sure no one was around, before gliding forward.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of a shiny green piece a little bit ahead of her. "There's a piece!" she headed towards it before she tripped over something and fell over.

"What the-?" she muttered as she stood up and brushed off the dirt particles that had managed to latch onto her.

"Not so fast, bat girl," a familiar red echidna spat. 

"_Knuckles_," Rouge said with wide eyes, as if she was in some sort of dream, but she quickly shook it off. Knuckles didn't notice. "What are you doing here?" 

"I could ask _you_ the same," Knuckles said in a nasty tone. 

Rouge growled at his tone. "Don't use that tone with _me_! You don't know what you're in for!" she threatened.

Knuckles got into a fighting position. "Oh, _really_?"

Rouge wasn't in the mood for a fight, so she gave in. "I'm here to treasure hunt," she said with a small frown. Her eyes lit up at the emerald she saw, again, as a devilish grin spread across her face. "Now if you'll just move aside…"

Knuckles followed her glance, and didn't hesitate to block her. 

"What do you think you're doing? Move!" Rouge said angrily.

"_Why_? So you can go grab a piece of **MY** emerald?" Knuckles sneered. He emphasized the word 'my' heavily.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. And that's _my_ emerald!" Rouge said with just as much emphasis. 

By now they were inches from each other, and Rouge pulled back. "I'll just go find more pieces of the emerald somewhere else on this island. Nothing you can do or say will stop me," she said haughtily, as she turned and started to walk away.

"I'm coming," Knuckles said firmly.

Rouge spun around. "What did you say?" she had heard him perfectly well, she just wanted to hear it again.

"You heard me; I'm coming," Knuckles said, walking up to her. "I don't trust you," he said firmly.

"You don't trust _me_?" Rouge said with a small mischievous grin. But she quickly changed the subject. "You should consider yourself _lucky_," she said with a sly grin. "You'll be able to watch a true master at work!" Her high self-esteem and overpowering ego coated her words.

"I'll believe _that_ when I see it," Knuckles said, softening up a little. He enjoyed teasing Rouge.

Rouge smirked at his comment. "Well you better keep your eyes open!" she responded.

-+-

"What are you doing?" Knuckles asked Rouge impatiently.

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" Rouge said just as impatiently, as she threw her sleeping bag on the cold ground. 

"You're sleeping now? It's not even that late!" Knuckles protested. "And where did you get that sleeping bag!?" 

"Yes, but I'll be getting up early. Besides, I need my beauty sleep!" Rouge retorted. "And haven't you heard of convenience? This sleeping bag came in a convenient pocket fold-out size!"

"Maybe I'll go to sleep, too…" Knuckles reconsidered with a muffled yawn.

Rouge yawned in chorus. "Okay, goodnight."

"Heh, I doubt it will be with _you_ here."

"Take that back!"

"Why? I meant it."

"What do _you_ know, knucklehead?" 

"More than you'll ever know, bat girl."

"What? I know way more than you! You think you're such a great treasure hunter, but really – " Rouge was interrupted as Knuckles placed his hand over her mouth.

"Go to sleep, Rouge," he said in a whisper. She flushed slightly at the close contact, but shook it off just as fast as it had appeared. She closed her eyes.

-+-

"Rise and shine, _sleeping beauty_," Knuckles teased as he shouted into Rouge's ear. She winced and looked at him through half-open eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked weakly.

"4:30am," Knuckles replied.

"4:30?" Rouge cried, as she jumped up in alarm and her eyes widened. "Are you _crazy_? When I said early, I meant more around 5:30 or 6!" 

"5:30 or 6?" Knuckles repeated. "I thought when you said early, you actually _MEANT_ it!" 

"5:30 is very early, thank you very much," Rouge said haughtily. "But I'm up now, thanks to _someone_," she glared at him briefly, and he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he snorted. "So are you going to go treasure hunting, or what?" he asked.

"I will after breakfast," she said as she rolled up her sleeping bag. 

"Just _where_ are you going to get _breakfast_?" Knuckles asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Rouge batted her eyelashes at him, and he rolled his eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me," Knuckles said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What…you expect me to go out treasure hunting, on an _empty stomach_?" Rouge asked as if he was crazy.

"Well you can go find your food, bat girl! I'm not cooking you anything!" Knuckles said with his arms still crossed, with his eyes closed.

"Some help _you_ are," Rouge rolled her eyes. "What do you have here…berries or something?"

Knuckles just nodded. 

Rouge shook him from his collar briefly. "Well come help me find some! I don't want to _starve_!" she said dramatically. 

"Fine," Knuckles said firmly, pulling back. "You're such a _rookie_," he smirked.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean? I specialize in _jewels_, remember? Not _breakfast berries_!" Rouge said; which earned a snort from Knuckles. 

Knuckles smirked again. "I _meant_ you were a rookie at living on an island and doing things for _yourself_."

Rouge flushed slightly at the fact that she had been wrong, and had made an idiot out of herself, but walked ahead to slip out of the embarrassment, as a cover. 

"So those berries are…where?" she asked, turning to look back at him.

Knuckles grinned slightly, noticing her obvious cover, and walked ahead of her. "Follow me," he said, jerking a thumb towards his chest with a grin. "_Rookie_," he said quietly under his breath.

She noticed and glared at him. "I heard that," she said in a firm tone, and he just grinned.

-+- **End of Chapter 1!** -+-

Good? Bad? Keep in mind this is my mere second attempt at a Sonic story, so try not to be too hard on me, please! ^_^ By the way…just in case anyone is confused; this takes part sometime in the middle of the game; when Rouge and Knuckles are both still valid hunters. 

Thanks, and please don't forget to review! ~

Satokasu Suki


End file.
